The present disclosure generally relates to subterranean formation operations, and more particularly to compositions and methods for performing subterranean formation operations using crosslinked polymers.
Subterranean formation treatment fluids (also referred to herein as “treatment fluids”) may be used in various capacities during the drilling, completion, and/or production of an oil and gas well (referred to herein as “subterranean operations”). Examples of such treatment fluids may include, for example, drilling fluids, completion fluids, stimulation fluids, and the like.
Drilling fluids may be liquid and/or gaseous fluids used to drill a wellbore into a subterranean formation. Drilling fluids may be circulated through a drill bit within the wellbore as the wellbore is being drilled. The drilling fluids are circulated back to the surface with drilling cuttings for removal from the wellbore. The drilling fluids may be designed to maintain a specific, balanced hydrostatic pressure within the wellbore, permitting all or most of the drilling fluid to be circulated back to the surface.
Completion fluids may be used to facilitate final operations prior to initiation of production of the wellbore after it is drilled, such as by setting screen production liners, packers, downhole valves or shooting perforations into the producing zone. The completion fluids are generally designed to control a well in the event of downhole hardware failure, without damaging the formation or completion components. Completion fluids are typically selected to be chemically compatible with the formation and formation fluids.
Stimulation operations may be used to improve oil and/or gas recovery and well producibility after drilling and completion operations have been completed in a subterranean formation. Stimulation fluids may be used in such operations including, for example, fracturing, acidizing, or other chemical treatments to improve connectivity to the wellbore. Stimulation fluids may be used to carry particulates (e.g., proppant particulates) or other chemicals to a downhole location to facilitate production of the formation.
Each of these treatment fluids, as well as other such treatment fluids used during oil and gas operations, may be used as a carrier fluid and must possess sufficient viscosity to suspend and transport solids (e.g., particulates), such as drill cuttings, formation fines, and proppant particulates, for example. Moreover, the viscosity of a treatment fluid may contribute to the stability of a wellbore by increasing the pressure exerted by the treatment fluid onto the surface of the subterranean formation so as to prevent undesirable inflow of reservoir fluids into the wellbore. Failure of a treatment fluid to maintain desirable viscosity for a particular operation may result in, inter a/ia, fluid loss of the treatment fluids. As used herein, the term “fluid loss” refers to loss of the fluid phase of a treatment fluid into a subterranean formation. As used herein, the term “fluid” refers to both liquid and gaseous phases. Such fluid loss may result in the inability of the treatment fluid to perform its desired function (e.g., particulate suspension, maintenance of hydrostatic pressure, delivery of desired chemicals to treatment zones, and the like), and may also result in undesirable buildup of solid materials (i.e., a filter cake) on the formation, which may impact recovery of desirable fluids, such as hydrocarbons, from the formation.